What's in my make-up bag?

I love doing my make-up. It's so much fun to accentuate the good features and hide the not-so-good. However I can go outdoors and see my friends without feeling the need to do my make-up. I have no problem posting make-up free pictures of myself here on my blog. Make-up makes me feel prettier and more confident but some days I couldn't care less about it.

When I buy make-up I tend to buy things recommended to me by friends or by other bloggers. Make-up can be so expensive at times and if the product doesn't prove to be worth the money... well, I'll get extremely annoyed. So I try to stick to products others have tested for me, even though I still wind up disappointed every now and then. Things that work for others might not work for me.

I've always had a love-hate relationship with foundation. Usually they are the wrong shade, they feel too caked on the skin, they aren't good for my skin etc.  Currently I'm using Diorskin Nude by Dior in the lightest shade (Ivory 010) and it's pretty much the perfect match to my own skin tone. I'll probably stick to this one for the rest of my life. (or at least as long as they manufacture it) I also use a highlighter/concealer, my current one is True Match Touche Magique by L'Oreal. I got it as a freebie from somewhere and I've been using it even though it isn't the perfect shade for me. It's a tad too yellow but it's doable. We'll see which one I get once this one is finished.

I'm not as picky with my mascaras as I'm with foundation etc. I got the Extra Super Lash Mascara by Rimmel as a freebie and I could actually consider buying it when I need a new mascara. The Chanel mascara I got from Trang, because it's brown and not water-proof. I quite like it though, it's perfect for those natural looks. A lash curler is a must for me, otherwise my lashes will stick to my glasses.

Considering that I love eyeliners, I haven't invested much in proper eye-liner products. I have tried so many eyeliners: liquid, gel and what not, yet I haven't found the perfect one. My current liquid eyeliner is from Primark and I got it as a Sinterklaas gift. It works surprisingly well, it's easy to apply but it gets a little dry and cake-y. Luckily it doesn't flake as bad as many other products I have tried. The black kohl pencil is by BeYu, a cheap German make-up brand. It's not too bad, even though it does smudge a little. I also use a white kohl pencil by We Care Icon, which is a Finnish household brand for one of the biggest Finnish department stores. It works well enough and it was quite cheap. Nothing extraordinary.

Ever since I learnt to do my make-up somewhat properly, I've been a fan of subtle eyeshadows. For a long time I kept on switching brands, looking for the perfect one until D got me the Naked 2 palette by Urban Decay. I truly love it, except for a couple shades and I can't imagine how I did without it.

I love Dior lipsticks and I would love to get more of them. I usually start by applying some vaseline (brand doesn't matter) and then I apply lipliner (also by Dior) and then lipstick. My go-to lipstick is Rouge Dior in Ara Red (999) but when I want to get a little more vampy look, I choose for the Dior Addict Extreme in Sunset Boulevard (829). I'm dying to get a lovely pink shade for spring and summer and I'd love to get the infamous Dior Addict lip glow.

Finally, there's my only perfume. I'm not a perfume-lover, as scents give me migraine but I got a sample of Nuit Pour Femme by Hugo Boss at the Vogue Fashion's Night Out in Amsterdam and I found myself liking it a lot. I actually liked it so much that I decided to buy it too! So whenever I go out of the house or even when I just feel like I want to be more glamorous, I add a whiff of the perfume.

Of course I have some other tidbits in my make-up bag but these are the products I mostly use. This post was not sponsored by anyone (I can only dream of being sponsored by Dior... that's the stuff dreams are made of!) and I am only sharing the links so you can find out a little more about the products in case you get curious.

What's in your make-up bag and are there any products you'd recommend to me?